UK cleans up after overnight rioting

Tuesday, August 09, 2011 - 01:58

Aug. 9 - London and surrounding areas awake to smoldering buildings after another night of violent riots. Julie Noce reports.

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People in this south London suburb woke up to a smoldering, and smashed in community Tuesday.
Overnight, shops in Croydon were burned and looted... homes, destroyed.
One woman fearing for her life, jumped from this second story building.
Residents are angry and frustrated.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL LARRY HUMPHRIES, WHO WITNESSED THE RIOTING SAYING:
"So the looters had the freedom to break into any shop around. Left, right, they kicked it in, they will loot. Some of them were unable to carry so many things that they left it, as though they are waiting for a taxi to come and pick them up. And we were all here watching - people were here watching. What I couldn't understand was: where was the helicopter? Where were the police in riot gear? Where were the dogs, and so on?"
The riots started after the death of this man... 29 year old Mark Duggan. He was killed by police last week in a shooting incident.
Since Saturday, riots have broken out all over the capital and elsewhere in England with demonstrators setting buildings on fire and looting shops in what police are calling the worst riots in decades.
In Enfield, smoke billows from this massive fire overnight.
A few hours prior, a Sony distribution center looked like this-- fire and flames lighting up the nighttime sky.
By morning, the flames were out, but firefighters said their work will continue for at least another day.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) STATION MANAGER FROM LONDON FIRE BRIGADE, DANIEL ALIE, SAYING:
"How long normally what would take with a fire of this size we will be here for some considerate time beyond today. We'll have the fire mostly under control, as you can see now, apart from the smoke. But with regards to damping down and turning over to make sure the fire is completely out, that will go on much part of tomorrow."
As plumes of smoke rise over London, Prime Minister David Cameron and other politicians were holding emergency meetings to discuss a way forward.
Julie Noce, Reuters